A LIFEBOAT crewman dived into the freezing waters of the Bristol Channel to rescue a couple who had become trapped in a cave.

A LIFEBOAT crewman dived into the freezing waters of the Bristol Channel to rescue a couple who had become trapped in a cave.

Alex Denny, who was celebrating his 20th birthday, and the crew of the Porthcawl lifeboat were responding to a distress call on Sunday afternoon.

A young couple from the Bridgend area used their mobile phones to call for help after becoming trapped by the tide in a cave between Ogmore-by-Sea and Southerndown shortly before 5pm.

When he arrived at the scene, Alex dived off the lifeboat and swam to the mouth of the cave to assess the situation.

An RAF Sea King helicopter was then called in to winch the couple out of the cave and on to dry land at Southerndown. Neither were injured. The helicopter than returned to the scene to lift Alex back on to the deck of the lifeboat.